Departing from Lisbon, we will head towards the enchanting Sintra Mountain. We will begin our day by visiting the stunning village of Sintra, a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1995. After our guided exploration, you will have some free time to discover this fairy tale village, historically known as the “Mountain of the Moon” by the Greeks and Romans, and rich in Moorish influences.

To start the day off right, we’ll visit a family-run bakery that has been operating since 1862, where you can enjoy the famous travesseiros (pillows). These delightful pastries are made by turning, rolling, and folding the dough seven times before filling them with a delicious almond-and-egg-yolk cream and lightly dusting them with sugar. Alternatively, you might try the Sintra cheesecakes, which date back to the 13th century, when they were used as a form of rent payment.

Next, we will cross the mystical mountain of Sintra on our way to the Atlantic Ocean. Along the journey, we will pass through the charming village of Colares, where you can learn about local wines that have been produced since the 13th century. We will make a stop at Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point of continental Europe, featuring a breathtaking sheer cliff that rises 150 meters above the ocean.

It will then be time for a lunch break as we drive toward Cascais. Once a humble fishing village, Cascais became popular as a resort for Portugal’s royal family in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Today, it is a favored vacation spot for both locals and international tourists, boasting small museums, picturesque gardens, a sparkling marina, and a charming pedestrian old town. While in Cascais, you will have the chance to taste the renowned ice cream from Santini’s Gelati, often considered the best ice cream in the world! Santini’s has been delighting taste buds since 1947.

After lunch, we’ll embark on an unforgettable experience as we visit the Pena Palace. Admission to the palace and its park is included in the price if the option is selected. The palace’s origins trace back to the Middle Ages, when a chapel dedicated to Our Lady of Pena was built atop the Sintra Mountain following a reported apparition of the Virgin Mary. The current palace, dating back to 1839, was commissioned by King Ferdinand II, who transformed the ruins of the 500-year-old Hieronymite Monastery into a residence that reflected his romantic aesthetic. Today, the palace stands as one of the foremost examples of 19th-century romanticism in the world, resembling a scene straight out of a Disney fairy tale (read more here).

Finally, we will return to Lisbon, concluding our wonderful day of exploration.